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by the setting of the that this is the excel

or do we cause it to spring forth? If we pleased, verily we could render the same dry and fruitless, so that ye would not cease to wonder,' saying. Verily we have contracted debts for seed and labour, but we are not per mitted to reap the fruit thereof. What think ye? The water which ye drink, do ye send down the same from the clouds, or are we the senders thereof? If we pleased, we could render the same brackish will ye not therefore give thanks? What think ye? The fire which ye strike, do ye produce the tree whence ye obtain the same, or are we the producers thereof? We have ordained the same for an admonition, and an advantage to those who travel through the deserts. Wherefore praise the name of thy LORD, the great God. Moreover I swear stars; (and it is surely a great oath, if ye knew it ;) lent Korân, the original whereof is written in the preserved book: none shall touch the same, except those who are clean. It is a revelation from the LORD of all creatures. Will ye, therefore, despise this new revelation? And do ye make this return for your food which ye receive from God, that ye deny yourselves to be obliged to him for the same? When the soul of a dying person cometh up to his throat, and ye at the same time are looking on; (and we are nigher unto him than ye, but ye see not his true condition ;*) would ye not, if ye are not to be rewarded for your actions hereafter, cause the same to return into the body, if ye speak the truth? And whether he be of those who shall approach near unto God, his reward shall be rest, and mercy, and a garden of delights: or whether he be of the companions of the right hand, he shall be saluted with the salutation, Peace be unto thee! by the companions of the right hand, his brethren or whether he be of those who have rejected the true faith, and

Or to repent of your time and labour bestowed to little purpose, &c.

Or, We are undone.

Or, We are unfortunate wretches, who are denied the necessaries of life.

See chap. 36, p. 365, note f.

To put men in mind of the resurrection;a which the production of fire in some sort resembles: or, of the fire of hell."

d

The particle la is generally supposed to be intensive in this place; but if it be taken for a negative, the words must be translated, I will not or do not swear, because what is here asserted is too manifest to need the confirmation of an oath. (Savary adopts the latter reading.)

Or, Let none touch the same, &c. Purity both of body and mind being requisite in him who would use this book with the respect he ought, and hopes to edify by it: for which reason these words are usually written on the cover.'

By ascribing the rains, which fertilize your lands, to the influence of the stars." Some copies, instead of riskacom, i. e. your food, read shocracom, i. e. your gratitude; and then the passage may be rendered thus, And do ye make this return of gratitude for God's revealing the Korân, that ye reject the same as a fiction?

"When some one among you is about to expire, and that you see him struggling against death, we are nigher unto them than ye are, but ye perceive us not."-Savary. The meaning of this obscure passage is, If ye shall not be obliged to give an account of your actions at the last day, as by your denying the resurrection ye seem to believe, cause the soul of the dying person to return into his body; for ye may as easily do that as avoid the general judgment.'

That is, of the leaders, or first professors of the faith.

See the Prelim. Dise. 'Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi.

See chap. 36, p. 365. aect. 3, p. 49.

• Al Beidâwi
See ibid. sect. 1, p. 22, 23.

4 • Iaem.

gone astray, his entertainment shall consist of boiling water, and the burning of hell fire. Verily this is a certain truth. Wherefore praise the name of thy LoRD, the great God.

CHAPTER LVII

INTITLED, IRON;' REVEALED AT MECCA, OR AT MEDINA,

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

WHATEVER 18 in heaven and earth singeth praise unto God; and he is mighty and wise. His is the kingdom of heaven and earth; he giveth life, and he putteth to death; and he is almighty. He is the first, and the last; the manifest and the hidden: and he knoweth all things. It is he who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then ascended his throne. He knoweth that which entereth into the earth, and that which issueth out of the same, and that which descendeth from heaven, and that which ascendeth thereto; and he is with you, wheresoever ye be for GOD seeth that which ye do. His is the kingdom of heaven and earth; and unto God shall all things return. He causeth the night to succeed the day, and he causeth the day to succeed the night; and he knoweth the innermost part of men's breasts. Believe in GoD and his apostle, and lay out in alms a part of the wealth whereof God hath made you inheritors for unto such of you as believe, and bestow alms, shall be given a great reward. And what aileth you, that ye believe not in GoD, when the apostle inviteth you to believe in your LORD; and he hath received your covenant concerning this matter, if ye believe any proposition?* It is he who hath sent down unto his servant evident signs, that he ma lead you out of darkness into light; for God is compassionate and merciful unto you. And what aileth you, that ye contribute not of your substance for the defence of God's true religion? Since unto God appertaineth the inheritance of heaven and earth. Those among you who shall have contributed and fought in defence of the faith, before the taking of Mecca, shall not be held equal with those who shall contribute and fight for the same afterwards. These shall be superior in degree unto those who shall contribute and fight for the propagation of the faith, after the abovementioned success; but unto all hath GoD promised a most excellent reward; and GOD well knoweth that which ye do. Who is he that will lend unto God an acceptable loan? for he will double the same unto him, and he shall receive moreover an honourable reward.† On a certain day, thou shalt see the true believers of both sexes: their light shall run before

The word occurs toward the end of the chapter.

It is uncertain which of the two places was the scene of revelation of this chapter. That is, ye are obliged to believe in him by the strongest arguments and mouves. "If your hearts are sincere."-Savary.

Because afterwards there was not so great necessity for either; the Mohammedau religion being firmly established by that great success.

Who is he who will enter into the glorious covenant of God? He shall prosper. An inestimable reward shall crown his devotedness."—Savary.

them, and on their right hands; and it shall be said unto hem, Good tidings unto you this day: gardens through which rivers flow ye stall remain therein for ever. This will be great felicity. On that day the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women shall say unto those who believe, Stay for us," that we may borrow some of your light. It shall be answered, Return back into the world, and seek light. And a high wall shall be set betwixt them, wherein shall be a gate, within which shall be mercy; and without it, over against the same, the torment of hell. The hypocrites shall call out unto the true believers, saying, Were we not with you? They shall answer, Yea; but ye seduced your own souls by your hypocrisy; and ye waited our ruin; and ve doubted concerning the faith; and your wishes deceived you, until the decree of GoD came, and ye died and the deceiver deceived you concerning GOD. This day, therefore, a ransom shall not be accepted of you, nor of those who have been unbelievers. Your abode shall be hell fire: this is what ye have deserved; nd an unhappy journey shall it be thither! Is not the time yet come unto those who believe, that their hearts should humbly submit to the admonition of GOD, and to that truth which hath been revealed; and that they be not as those unto whom the scripture was given heretofore, and to whom the time of forbearance was prolonged, but their hearts were hardened, and many of them were wicked doers? Know that God quickeneth the earth, after it hath been dead. Now have we distinctly declared our signs unto you, that ye may understand. Verily as to the almsgivers, both men and women, and those who lend unto GoD an acceptable loan, he will double the same unto them; and they shall moreover receive an honourable reward. And they who believe in GoD and his apostles, these are the men of veracity, and the witnesses in the presence of their LORD they shall have their reward, and their light. But as to those who believe not, and accuse our signs of falsehood, they shall be the companions of hell. Know that this present life is only a toy and a vain amusement: and worldly pomp, and the affectation of glory among you, and the multiplying of riches and children, are as the plants nourished by the rain, the springing up whereof delighteth the husbandmen; after vards they wither, so that thou seest the same turned yellow, and at length they become dry stubble. And in the life to come will be a severe punishment for those who covet worldly grandeur; and pardon from God, and favour for those who renounce it: for this present life is no other than a deceitful provision. Hasten with emulation to obtain pardon from your

One light leading them the right way to paradise, and the other proceeding from the book wherein their actions are recorded, which they will hold in their right hand. "Thou shalt one day see the faithful encompassed by a resplendent lustre."-Savary. For the righteous will hasten to paradise swift as lightning.

"Remain," it shall be replied unto them," remain in darkness."-Savary.

Those who shall have entered into the holy covenant, and who support it by their niches, shall be repaid twofold that which they shall have given, and shall be magnifi sently rewarded."-Savary.

These are the true believers."-Savary.

LORD, and paradise, the extent whereof equalleth the extent of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in GoD and his apostles. This is the bounty of GOD: he will give the same unto whom he pleaseth; and GOD is endued with great bounty. No accident happeneth in the earth, nor in your persons, but the same was entered in the book of our decrees, before we created it: verily this is easy with GOD: and this is written lest ye immoderately grieve for the good which escapeth you, or rejoice for that which happeneth unto you; for God loveth no proud or vainglorious person, or those who are covetous, and command men covetousness. And whoso turneth aside from giving alms; verily God is selfsufficient, worthy to be praised. We formerly sent our apostles with evident miracles and arguments; and we sent down with them the scriptures, and the balance, that men might observe justice and we sent them down iron, wherein is mighty strength for war, and various advantages unto mankind:* that God may know who assisteth him and his apostles in secret; for God is strong and mighty. We formerly sent Noah and Abraham, and we established in their posterity the gift of prophecy, and the scripture and of them some were directed, but many of them were evil doers. Afterwards we caused our apostles to succeed in their footsteps; and we caused Jesus the son of Mary to succeed them, and we gave him the gospel and we put in the hearts of those that followed him compassion and mercy: but as to the monastic state, they instituted the same (we did not prescribe it to them) only out of a desire to please GOD; yet they observed not the same as it ought truly to have been observed. And we gave unto such of them as believed their reward: but many of them were wicked doers. O ye who believe in the prophets, fear GoD, and believe in his apostle Mohammed he will give you two portions of his mercy, and he will ordain you a light wherein ye may walk, and he will forgive you; for GoD is ready to forgive, and merciful: that those who have received the scriptures may know that they have not power over any of the favours of GOD," and that good is in the hand of God; he bestoweth the same on whom he pleaseth; for GoD is endued with great beneficence.

:

i. e. A rule of justice. Some think that a balance was actually brought down from neaven by the angel Gabriel to Noah, the use of which he was ordered to introduce among his people.

That is, We taught them how to dig the same from mines. Al Zamakhshari adds, that Adam is said to have brought down with him from paradise five things made of iron, viz. an anvil, a pair of tongs, two hammers, a greater and a lesser, and a needle. Warlike instruments and weapons being generally made of iron.

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We taught the art of forging iron, to render it fit for battle, and useful to the wants of life."-Savary.

That is, sincerely and heartily.

These words are directed to the Jews and Christians, or rather to the latter only. 'One as a recompense for their believing in Mohammed, and the other as a recompense for their believing in the prophets who preceded him: for they will not lose the reward of their former religion, though it be now abrogated by the promulgation of Islam.'

i. e. That they cannot expect to receive any of the favours above-mentioned, because they believe not in his apostle, and those favours are annexed to him in faith; or, That they have not power to dispose of God's favours, particularly of the greatest of them the gift of prophecy, so as to appropriate the same to whom they please. ⚫ Idem.

• Al Beidâwi.

CHAPTER LVIII.

INTITLED, SHE WHO DISPUTED; REVEALED AT MEDINA."

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

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*[XXVIII.] Now hath God heard the speech of her who disputed with thee concerning her husband, and made her complaint unto God; ** and God hath heard your mutual discourse: for GOD both heareth and seeth As to those among you who divorce their wives, by declaring that they will thereafter regard them as their mothers; let them know that they are not their mothers. They only are their mothers who brought them forth; and they certainly utter an unjustifiable saying and a falsehood:† but God is gracious and ready to forgive. Those who divorce their wives by declaring that they will for the future regard them as their mothers, and afterwards would repair what they have said, shall be obliged to free a captive before they touch one another. That is what ye are warned to perform : and GoD is well apprized of that which ye do. And whoso findeth not a captive to redeem, shall observe a fast of two consecutive months, before they touch one another. And whoso shall not be able to fast that time, shall feed threescore poor men. This is ordained you, that ye may believe in GoD and his apostle. These are the statutes of GoD: and for the unbelievers is prepared a grievous torment. Verily they who oppose GOD and his apostle shall be brought low, as the unbelievers who preceded them were brought low. And now have we sent down manifest signs: and an ignominious punishment awaiteth the unbelievers. On a certain day GOD

▾ Some are of opinion that the first ten verses of this chapter, ending with these words, and fear God, before whom ye shall be assembled, were revealed at Mecca, and the rest at Medina.'

*This was Khawla bint Thâlaba, the wife of Aws Ebn al Sâmat, who, being divorced by her husband by a form in use among the Arabs in the time of ignorance, viz. by saying to her, Thou art to me as the back of my mother, came to ask Mohammed's opinion whether they were necessarily obliged to a separation; and he told her that it was not lawful for her to cohabit with her husband any more: to which she replying, that her husband had not put her away, the prophet repeated his former decision, adding that such form of speaking was by general consent understood to imply a perpetual separation. Upon this the woman being greatly concerned because of the smallness of her children, went home, and uttered her complaint to God in prayer: and thereupon this passage was revealed, allowing a man to take his wife again, notwithstanding his having pronounced the above-mentioned form of divorce, on doing certain acts of charity, or mortification, by way of penance.

* 46

Heaven hath heard the voice of her who brought unto thee her complaint against her husband, and who raised to the Lord her eyes bathed in tears."-Savary.

And therefore no woman ought to be placed in the same degree of prohibition, except those whom God has joined with them, as nursing mothers, and the wives of the prophet. ↑ "They cannot become their wives.”—Savary.

This seems to be here the true meaning of the original word, which properly signifies to return, and is variously expounded by the Mohammedan doctors.

• Which captive, according to the most received decision, ought to be a true believer: as is ordered for the expiation of manslaughter.'

"They who swear to live no longer with their wives, and who repent of their oath, must not have intercourse with them before they have liberated a captive.”—Savary. Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin, & c See ibid. p. 71, 72.

A. Peidawi.

See chap. 33, p. 341.

'A' Beidâwi. See chap. 4, p. 62, and chap. 33, p. 349.

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